Easter Orders
8:50 a.m. - 2008-03-06


I got my marching orders for Easter dinner from EG, and I am supposed to bring salad. I am a pretty big failure in the great-salad-making department, but I will do my best. I am going to get a bottle of that good Trader Joe's salad dressing, use mixed greens, and do the nut/pear/blue cheese thing. I may have tallked EG into making the same excellent ham loaf she made last year. I asked her if she was going to make it this year and told her how we all raved about it last year. She had forgotten about it and was pleased that we all liked it so much, so I am hoping. I will have to take my own low-cholesterol dessert, the aforementioned Pavlova, since I am not making the dessert.

I got both sleeves into the Ranch Red cardigan and have to make a quick trip to the store this morning for buttons. After I have chosen the buttons (probably metallic since the red will be hard to match), I can get started on the bands. When I knit the pieces on the machine, I use a row counter, so there are exactly the same number of rows on the front and backs. That being so, why do I end up with extra rows on one side when I am sewing it together? It is a mystery to me.

I am also almost done with the blue T-shirt for Abby with the hems all basted in and ready to sew. Hopefully, finishing something will jumpstart the urge to sew, since the fabric is calling me.

I need to call out the electrician for the long-delayed installation of the new lights plus a lot of other minor things, but now I have been recruited to bake for a charity bake sale this month, and I need to find out the date so that I do not have the kitchen torn up on the day I need to bake. I am waiting for word from the lady in the spouse's office, but, being tax time, they have other things on their minds.

I also finally got up my nerve and ordered the pattern drafting software I had been wanting. I saved up my spending money for a few months and got Melissa to place the order for me since the website was a little hard to navigate (I could tell this from the muttering and swearing issuing from my daughter). Now I am waiting for it to arrive so that I can finally, finally, produce a blouse that is well fitted through the shoulders. I did not buy the $500 program because, criminey, that is a lot of money, but went with Pattern Master Boutique 4 instead. It looks similar to my knit drafting program so I am used to that.

It is almost the middle of March, so it is time to get started on some seeds. I am helping to dig up the garden beds this year by going out in the morning and digging up a row or two every day. We have a problem with tree roots getting into all the beds, so they have to be deeply dug every year or so. Last year we did not dig it up and my basil did not amount to more than one batch of pesto, and that is just not acceptable. I like to put pesto on my pizzas, so I need a lot of it in the freezer.

I have some strange knit fabric that I got off the sale tables years ago that is just taking up space, so I got the idea to make it into pajamama trousers. That way, I could wear them around the house but not have to worry about how hard it is to make an acceptable hem on the stretchy knit when you don't have a serger or coverlock machine. I am not sure what size I am going to end up being at the end of this diet/low cholesterol adventure, so there is no sense putting a lot of effort into fitted garments for me.

Time to go recharge my camera..